Avoiding Danger From Underground Services HSG47 is a guide produced by the Health and Safety Executive and it does what it says on the tin. It is designed for people involved in “commissioning, planning, managing, and carrying out work on or near underground services”. It is also of use to owners and operators of such services. This is the latest (third) edition and was updated in 2014.
The three basic elements of working safely during an excavation are planning the work, locating and identifying buried services, and safe excavation. As they say, underground services are widespread, and so you should assume they are present unless you have been shown otherwise. At Sygma Solutions, we would take that one step further because that could imply that if you have obtained plans (STATS) from service providers in the area which show that there is nothing where you are about to dig, that is not necessarily the case.
Unfortunately, not all plans are accurate, they may not be complete, they may also be out of date. Just as one example, a utility may have employed contractors to install a service and the instructions may have been that it should be five feet below the surface, and that is what the plans will show.
If you are only going to dig down three feet you may believe that it is safe to do so. However, it has not been unknown for a contractor to cut corners in order to save time and money, and it is always a possibility that the contractor only installed the service at a depth of two feet. This is just one reason why, although you should always obtain plans whenever they are available, you should never rely on them as gospel. They can only ever be used as a guide.
It is absolutely essential to carry out a survey on the ground in every instance before digging. This is done using the CAT and Genny in combination, but even then, you need to be aware that they have certain limitations. As another simple example, you may use them and get a negative result but that may not mean that nothing is there. If the ground is such that the equipment can only read to a depth of, say, three feet, and you need to dig down five feet, you may get a negative reading and proceed on that basis. But there could be a service at a depth of four feet!
The answer is to dig down cautiously a foot or so and then take another reading. Then another foot, and so on. This time you may get a positive reading.
These are the sorts of things that we teach on our courses at Sygma Solutions. We have over 100 years of combined experience of excavation work and surveying and we know the sort of things that can happen.
If the course you are looking for has no dates or you would like a course built for your company please contact
enquiries@sygma-solutions.com for current availability and booking form
Open Days
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PAS128 Utility Mapping Training Modules mapped to CICES competencies
– 2 days
Module 1 – Pas 128 Level D &C training to include level 3 assessment – CICES GEUS01 A-D
– 3 Days
Module 2 – PAS128 Level B Training – can include Level 4 assessment – CICES GUES01 E-I
Please contact enquires@sygma-solutions.com for future dates and a booking form
2 Day Advanced EM Course (RD8100/8200 & VIVAX)
In depth course covering electromagnetic locators, theory and intensive practical on our real world training site.
Cost: £295 per person
Location: Sygma Solutions training centre, Wigan
30th – 31st May 2024
23rd – 24th July 2024
5th – 6th September 2024
Location: Sygma Solutions training centre, Wigan
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1 Day Mala GPR Module 1 – Theory & Practical
Cost: FOC
Location: Sygma Solutions training centre, Wigan
Dates: Contact Us
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1 Day Mala GPR Module 2 – Post processing
Cost: FOC
Location: Sygma Solutions training centre, Wigan
Dates: Contact Us
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2 Day GPR – All Manufacturers
Location: Sygma Solutions training centre, Wigan
Dates: Contact Us
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5 Day TSA & ICES Approved 5 Day Utility Mapping Course
Location: Sygma Solutions training centre, Wigan
Dates: Contact Us
Location: Worcester
Dates: Contact Us
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1 Day Public Genny & CAT Course – Can include ProQual Level 2 Qualification as an option
Cost: £175 plus VAT
Location: Sygma Solutions training centre, Wigan
Dates:
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Level 3 Utility Mapping Qualification – All Online
Cost: £275 PLUS REG FEE
Location: Online
Dates: To suit
Level 5 Diploma Utility Mapping Qualification – Online Workbooks – followed by assessment
Cost £1100 PLUS REG FEE
Location: Sygma Solutions training centre or your site
Dates: To suit
Open level 5 assessment dates at Sygma Solutions, Wigan
Level 5 Diploma Utility Mapping Qualification – in 5 days
Cost – contact us
Location: Sygma Solutions training centre, Wigan
Dates:
3rd – 7th June 2024
1st – 5th July 2024
Sygma PAS 128 Utility Surveyor Training Including Proqual Level 3 Utility Mapping and Surveying
Please contact us for future dates and a booking form
Location: Sygma Solutions training centre, Wigan
15th – 19th April 2024 Limited spaces available
20th – 24th May 2024
10th – 14th June 2024
8th – 12th July 2024
Level 3 Utility Mapping and Surveying Public Course
24th – 25th June 2024
1st – 2nd July 2024
24th – 25th September 2024
Location: Sygma Solutions training centre, Wigan
GPS Course & Total Station Introduction
This is a 2 day dedicated GPS course with an introduction to Total Station
Please contact us for future dates and a booking form
Please contact enquires@sygma-solutions.com for future dates and a booking form
Please contact:
enquiries@sygma-solutions.com for current availability and booking form